Personal alarms for elderly

Happy_Daddy

Hello,

MIL broke her leg a month ago and is due to come out of rehab shortly. We've had an AGE UK pendant alarm fitted (organised by the local Occupational Health team). When the pendant is pressed you communicate through a base unit to a 24hr call centre. However, we have some concerns as when she is in some parts of the house she won't be able to hear (or be heard by) the base unit. We're on a very steep learning curve with all this, are other systems available that give greater coverage throughout a house?

Many thanks

Happy Daddy

Mojisola

Happy_Daddy wrote: »

MIL broke her leg a month ago and is due to come out of rehab shortly. We've had an AGE UK pendant alarm fitted (organised by the local Occupational Health team). When the pendant is pressed you communicate through a base unit to a 24hr call centre. However, we have some concerns as when she is in some parts of the house she won't be able to hear (or be heard by) the base unit. We're on a very steep learning curve with all this, are other systems available that give greater coverage throughout a house?

The way Dad's one worked was that, if the call centre couldn't hear the client after the alarm had been activated, they automatically phoned us.

If he fell in the garden, there was no way to have a conversation with him - we just got there as fast as possible.

Savvy_Sue

Mum couldn't hear what was said over the base station, and wouldn't hear the phone ring if she wasn't in the same room, and even if she could hear it ring she couldn't hear what was said over the phone.

But the system worked as described: if the control centre couldn't contact her to check she was OK, they'd phone the keyholder.

tea_lover

Same as PPs. My grandad had one, if it was activated and the call centre couldn't get a response they would call the named contacts.

margaretclare

How about a simple basic mobile phone? She could keep it in her pocket.

Mojisola, DH fell over in the garden last summer. Powerful antibiotics he'd been taking had caused dizziness. He attempted to shift a tree-root with his head. I was indoors and my mobile rang.

Mobile phones have been a life-saver for us on more than one occasion.

Mojisola

margaretclare wrote: »

How about a simple basic mobile phone? She could keep it in her pocket.

Mojisola, DH fell over in the garden last summer. Powerful antibiotics he'd been taking had caused dizziness. He attempted to shift a tree-root with his head. I was indoors and my mobile rang.

Mobile phones have been a life-saver for us on more than one occasion.

It depends at what stage people are at. By the time Dad needed the emergency button, I knew he wouldn't cope with using a mobile.

Getting him to remember that, if he needed help, all he had to do was press the red button was much easier.

BAGGY

You can ask for the volume to be turned up on the base unit. My dad's machine can connect from the garden but as he is hard of hearing they would not be able to talk to me, just call to ask me to attend. If your relation is on higher rate attendance allowance (and they should be if they require an alarm system so they are 'technically' in contact with someone 24/7) the extra money from middle rate to higher rate covers the cost of the alarm.

Happy_Daddy

Thanks for all your input. I guess it's just a case of us all getting used to it. We are worried that if she doesn't hear the base unit she won't be confident that action has been taken. She spent 2 hours crawling to phone after breaking her leg so is nervous about being unable to contact anyone.

We're also considering a mobile with an SOS button, partly as a back up and partly for when she is finally able to go out and about by herself again.

rjhammond91

Talking from experience, sometimes if the careline are unable to get in contact with the client, they will contact the emergency services to do a concern for welfare especially if the contacts are also unreachable.

Savvy_Sue

margaretclare wrote: »

How about a simple basic mobile phone? She could keep it in her pocket.

Mojisola, DH fell over in the garden last summer. Powerful antibiotics he'd been taking had caused dizziness. He attempted to shift a tree-root with his head. I was indoors and my mobile rang.

Mobile phones have been a life-saver for us on more than one occasion.

Mojisola wrote: »

It depends at what stage people are at. By the time Dad needed the emergency button, I knew he wouldn't cope with using a mobile.

Getting him to remember that, if he needed help, all he had to do was press the red button was much easier.

Also worth pointing out to the OP and others who are looking that you can get pendants which alert in case of a fall. I don't know if the Age Concern system facilitates this or not.

Happy_Daddy

Thanks Savvy Sue - MIL's system does not include a fall alarm.